Bactris major is a small to medium sized (1–10 m tall) spiny palm

Arecaceae

Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...

 which ranges from Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

, through Central America

Central America

Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...

 into northern South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

 and Trinidad

Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...

. The species is divided into three or four varieties, although the boundaries between varieties is not always clearly defined.

The fruits are eaten or used to flavour drinks.

Varieties

Rafaël Govaerts recognised three varieties:

• Bactris major var. major
• Bactris major var. infesta (Mart.) Drude
• Bactris major var. socialis (Mart.) Drude

Andrew Henderson

Andrew Henderson (botanist)

Andrew James Henderson is a palm-systematist and Curator of the Institute of Systematic Botany at the New York Botanical Garden. He has authored taxonomic descriptions of 140 species, subspecies and varieties of plants, especially in the palm family...

 and co-authors recognised a fourth variety, Bactris major var. megalocarpa (Trail ex Thurn) A.J.Hend.

Andrew Henderson (botanist)

Andrew James Henderson is a palm-systematist and Curator of the Institute of Systematic Botany at the New York Botanical Garden. He has authored taxonomic descriptions of 140 species, subspecies and varieties of plants, especially in the palm family...

, but Govaerts considered this to be a synonym of Bactris major var. major.